Apple in Talks with Time Warner Cable

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Apple is working on a new Apple TV set-top box and is in talks with Time Warner Cable and others to bring content to the service, according to a report.

The new Apple TV will be readied for Christmas 2014 in hopes of cashing in on holiday shoppers, Bloomberg News reported. However, if Apple can get content providers on board it may launch sooner, according to unnamed sources. If Apple does partner with Time Warner, it will be the first time for the tech company.

Neither company commented on the alleged deal.

The talks have been going on for upwards of six months, according to the report, with much of it due to lengthy negotiations. The new deal could give Apple TV customers more channels than the six now offered, but currently each app requires a separate login and password for access.

Apple has already been working on getting Comcast Corp. and DirecTV to let users use Apple IDs instead of their own logins, but so far haven't budged.

Content providers aren't as interested in giving Apple content because it may lose out on licensing fees from cable and satellite providers. In this way, Apple realized if it can't beat them, then it has to join them -- cable companies, that is. The partnership is one way to make new content happen, especially if Apple can play off Time Warner and Comcast against each other.